Orienting tool for use in well bores



Aug. 17, 1954 L- w. STORM ORIENTING TOOL. FOR USE IN WELL BORES 3 Sheets-Sheet l Lyn/7 W Jform INVENTOR.

Filed June 29, 1951 BY 6M5 ATTORNEY L. W. STORM ORIENTING TOOL FOR USE IN WELL BORES Aug. 17, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29 1951 M Z a 8 M Z 4 4 7 m 2 4 M 2 0 6 4 6 W M Mil; i ifili wf I O n i ///H 4/ h a Q3, w w w m N TOR.

A n/7 W s for/h INVE WTW

ATTORNEY Aug. 17, 1954 'Filed June 29 1951 1.. w. STORM 2,686,660

ORIENTING TOOL FOR uss IN WELL BORES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jform Lyn/7 W.

[N V ENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 17, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LynnW. Storm, Houston, Tex. Application June 29, 1951, Serial No. 234,291

. l t This invention relates to an orienting tool, and more particularly to a tool for use in the drilling of wells which is designed to orient any of various types of equipment when lowered into a well bore. i 6

r The invention is intended foruse in directional well drilling operations, which require the orientation of a deflecting tool in a predetermined direction relative to the direction of drift of the well bore.

In the drilling of wells, such as oil wells, there is nearly always a tendency for the bore of the wellto drift so that the bore frequently deviates 6 Claims. (01. 255--1.6)

considerably from its intended direction. Such drift, or deviation in direction, often makes it necessary to employ some means of restoring the bore to its intended direction. It is also desirable at times to alter the direction of the bore to suit the particular circumstances or to meet the requirements of unexpected conditions encountered during the drilling operation. 6

Numerous types of deflecting tools, such as whipstops, knuckle joints, spud bits, and the like, have been employed heretofore in such directional drilling operations, with varying degrees of success. The methods of determining the directionof such deflecting tools are also numerous, but it can be stated that there are two general methods in common use in the directional drilling art as heretofore practiced. The first and oldest of these methods involves the orienting of the tool in the well as each stand of pipe enters the bore, that is, the direction or location of the face of the deflecting tool is noted as the toolsare lowered in the well by transferring a reference point from one joint or stand of pipe to the next all the way to the bottom of the well. In that method use is made of pipe clamps, and a transit and sight bar for the purpose of establishing the reference mark on the pipe, which makes the method very time consuming, and the accuracy obtainable depends largely upon the patience oi the operator and the depth of the well.

The second general method of orientation is known as bottom hole orientation as contrasted to the previously described method. This method generally involves placing an orienting sub, usually of non-magnetic material, above the deflecting tool and running the tools to the bottom of the well. After the tools are at or near bottom a photographic instrument is run on a wire line through the pipe down to the orienting sub and a photo is taken and then retrieved. The photo contains information which allows the operator to determine the direction that the tool is facing in relation to the way he wants it to face as previously decided. The operator makes whatever corrections are necessary by rotating the entire string of pipe the required amount. Usually a second or third photo is taken to check this correction.

Both methods mentioned have been satisfactory to a degree but both methods have very distinct disadvantages. The first-mentioned method is generally quite slow and often inaccurate. The second method is unnecessarily slow, can be quite accurate, but is often very hazardous in that the pipe must not be moved for dangerously long periods of time so that the pipe often becomes stuck or frozen in the well.

The present invention has for an important object the provision of an orienting tool for carrying out directional drilling operations, whereby the disadvantages of the methods heretofore employed are eliminated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an orienting tool by the use of which the orientation of the deflecting tool can be quickly and easily determined entirely by manipulation of the operating string in the well, without the necessity of marking each stand of pipe or carrying out any extended tests after the drill has reached the bottom of the hole.

Another object of the invention is to provide an orienting tool having telescoping parts which may be operated by manipulation of the operating string, and embodying means for arresting the relative longitudinal movement of the parts,

whereby the angular relationship between the parts may be determined by the length of such relative movement. i

A further object of the invention is to provide an orienting tool of simple design and rugged construction, capable of withstanding the extreme conditions of wear and strain to which such a tool is likely to be subjected.

The orienting tool and the method of using the same, described herein is, much faster and safer than the two general methods above mentioned and possesses a much higher degree of accuracy than is ordinarily required in the orientation of directional tools. By the use of the invention it is possible for the operator to make up a directional or deflecting tool on the orienting tool, connect the same to an operating string, and lower them into the well. Without surveying the pipe in and without running any instrument inside the pipe the deflecting tool can then be oriented in the desired direction in a matter of a few minutes and it is also a simple matter to check theorientation. The entire orienting operation may be done while mud is being circulated through the pipe, thus eliminating any tendency for the pipe to become stuck in the well.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will best be understood from the following detailed description constituting a specification of the same, when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in cross section, showing the upper portion of the orienting tool; 7 Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the lower portion of the orienting tool, showing a conventional type of deflecting tool attached to the same;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 6 is a side elevational View partly broken away and partly in cross section, showing the orienting tool in one of its operating positions;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating the manner in which the orienting tool is adjusted;

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3-4 of Figure '7, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of a form of key or wrench used in adjusting the orienting tool;

Figure 10 is an end elevational view or the key or wrench of Figure 9; and

Figure 11 is a side elevational View showing the invention as employed in a directional drilling operation.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts throughout the several views, it will be seen that the orienting tool comprises, briefly stated, outer and inner tubular members telescopically associated, which members are keyed together to prevent relative rotation, and gravity responsive means is provided within the tool whereby the overall length of the tool in the fully retracted condition of the parts varies in accordance with the direction of a deflecting tool connected to the orienting tool.

The outer part or barrel of the tool is made up of an upper body "I, which is conveniently provided with internal threads H2 at its upper end for the attachment thereto of an operating string, whose lower end is indicated at [4. At its lower end the upper body is internally threaded as indicated at l6, for connection to a lower body l8, which has an externally-threaded, reduced, upper end portion 263. The lower end of the upper body is counterbored to provide an internal shoulder 22 against which an annular seat insert 24 engages, which insert is also engaged by the upper end of the lower body, to retain the insert in posi'tion. An annular recess 2E5 is formed within the upper body, which recess is defined by the upper surface of the seat insert 24, and a rounded upper surface 21 forming an annular abutment. The upper annular surface of the seat insert forms a support disposed in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the tool.

The inner tubular member, or mandrel is made up of a wash pipe section 28 and a lower mandrel section 30. The wash pipe section 28 has a por tion 32 of reduced diameter mediate its ends, forming an external annular recess 33, and is provided with one or more peripherally spaced, external, longitudinal grooves 34, '36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48, below the portion 32, which grooves are open at their upper ends at the reduced portion 32 and closed at their lower ends. The grooves are of different lengths, the shortest groove 34 being preferably located from the longest groove 42, and the intermediate grooves being arranged in the increasing or decreasing order of their lengths, depending upon the direction taken. Referring to Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen, for example, that the groove 34 is the shortest, and the groove 42 is the longest, and the intermediate grooves 36, 38 and 40 are arranged in the increasing order of their length counter-clockwise about the mandrel. The intermediate grooves 44, 46 and 48 are arranged in the decreasing order of their length continuing counter-clockwise about the mandrel from the longest groove back to the shortest groove. The lower end of the wash pipe section has an externally threaded portion 50 of reduced diameter, and the upper end of the lower mandrel section 30 is internally threaded, to receive the reduced portion 50, whereby the mandrel sections are adjustably connected together. Suitable means, such as a friction element 52 of compressible material and which acts as a lock washer, is disposed between the mandrel sections, to prevent relative rotation of the sections when adjusted. The lower body I8 is internally splined as indicated at 54, and the lower mandrel section 30 has external splines 56, which mesh with the internal spline 54, in all positions of the inner and outer members, whereby relative rotation between the lower mandrel section 30 and the member I8 is prevented.

The wash pipe section 28 has an external groove 58 in which suitable packing, such as an O-ring 60, is disposed, to form a fluid tight seal between the wash pipe sections and the upper body l0, and the lower body 18 has an internal groove 62, within which suitable packing means such as an O-ring 64, is disposed, to form afluid tight seal between the lower mandrel section 30, and the lower body. Thus, a fluid tight chamber is formed within the tool extending from the packing 60 of the wash pipe section to the packing 64 of the lower body, within which chamber a suitable fluid such as oil is confined which serves to dampen the movement of a gravity actuated element 66 carried on the seat insert 24. The fluid may be introduced into the chamber in any suitable manner, as by the provision of a conventional filling opening, not shown, in the upper body [0 or in the lower body It, which opening may be closed by a conventional closure, such as a plug.

Within the space formed by the annular recess 28 in the upper body and the reduced portion 32 of the wash pipe section a gravity responsive element, such as a non-magnetic metal ball 66 is positioned for free movement on the seat insert 24. The depth and shape of the grooves and the size of the gravity responsive element 66 are such that it is possible for a part of the gravity element to ride or extend into one of the grooves of the mandrel as the inner and outer tubular members telescope, and the amount of relative longitudinal movement between the inner and outer tubular members is determined by the particular groove into which the gravity responsive element sub 68. to which any suitable type of deflecting tool such as the spud bit may be attached. The spud bitlll, in the present illustration, has a basewhich terminates in the point P, and is provided with a passageway: H therethrough in communication with the passageway 35 of the mandrel section 30, and through which drilling mud or other circulating fluid may flow into or out of the operating string.

The upper end of the wash pipe section 28 has a radial groove or notch 12 therein, with which an adjusting wrench or key, such as that illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 ofthe drawings, is adapted to cooperate for the purpose of rotating the wash pipe section of the mandrel with reference tovthe lower mandrel section 3|]. As seen in Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings the wrench or key 14 is of generally T-shape, having a shank 16 with a radially projecting lug 18 adjacent its lower end, and a handle 80 at the top, which is formed with a downturned end portion 82 providing a pointer, which indicates the position of the radiallug 18.

In making use ofthe invention as described above, the operator first decides upon the direction in which the deflecting tool is to face at the bottom of the hole in order to direct the drill in the desired direction. For purposes of illustrationit may be assumed that the operator wishes to face the tool in the opposite direction to that in which the hole is going. For example, if thehole is drifting in the direction N. 45 32., then the operator wants to set the tool facing in the direction S. 45 W. Whatever the direction of the hole may be with reference to the vertical the operator will want to face the tool 180 from this direction in order to straighten the hole. In the present illustration the spud bit 10, is

made up on the bottom sub 68, and the position of the point P is noted and is indicated on the upper part of the upper body In by a suitable mark. By placing the wrench 14 in the tool, as shown in Figure ,7 with the lug 18 extending into the notch 12 in the upper end of. the wash pipe section, the notch may be brought into registration with the point P by aligning the pointer 82 of the wrench with the reference mark on theupper body. The notch 12 is cut in the upper end of the wash pipe section 28 so that it is always in exact alignment with the shortest groove 34 in the wash pipe section of the mandrel, so that the short groove may in this manner be brought to the desired angular relation with the point P, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, which in the present illustration is When the desired angular relation has been established between the point P and the notch 12, then the drill pipe is screwed into the upper end of the upper body In and the tools are lowered to within a few feet of the bottom of the well.

Circulation should be established through the be indicated at the surface.

extension of the tool may also be accomplished by means of a suitable spring, not shown, incorporated in the tool, or by other suitable means. The extending movement of the members Of thetool is limited by the engagement of the splines on the lower mandrel section 3!] with the bottom of the lower body I 8, and when the parts are fully extended the reduced portion 32 of the wash pipe section is opposite the annular recess 26 in the upper body Ill, so that the ball 66 is free to move about the wash pipe section on the insert 24 until the ball comes to rest at thelowest point on this seat. In directional drilling terminology the direction of drift of the hole is called the high side of the hole, and the opposite direction is known as the low side of the hole. With the ball at rest on the lowest point on the seat, the operating string is lowered to telescope the inner and outer members together until such movement is arrested by engagement of the ball between the abutment 21 of the upper body and the bottom 3| of the particular groove into which the ball extends. The tool will then cease to shorten and the weight on the bit will A definite weight, depending upon the particular conditions prevailing, such as the weight of the operating string and the tool, is preferably placed on the orienting tool, in order to assure that the inner and outer members are telescoped to the limit of their movement. When the tool has been thus operated the height and angular position of the operating string in relation to some fixed pointon the rig is noted and suitably indicated as by placing a reference mark on the pipe. By picking the tool off bottom and turning the entire string a few degrees and repeating the operationabove described the ball 66 may be made to enter successive grooves about the wash pipe section, and the length of the orienting tool in its fully telescoped condition determined each time, and in this manner the point at which the reference mark first noted on the pipe is in its lowest position may be determined. Accordingly, when it has been determined at which angular position of the string the tool is the shortest, the operator then knows that the ball is in the longest groove, and that the deflecting tool is facing in a direction from the direction of drift of the hole. If desired the orienting operation may be repeated in order to check the high and low positions of the reference mark on the pipe, thus assuring that the deflecting tool is properly oriented. From the information obtained by carrying out the orienting process, as described above, it will of course be possible to turn the deflecting tool to any position desired with reference to the direction of drift of the hole, and in this manner, the drilling of the well may be carried out in any desired direction.

It will thus be seen that the invention, as described above, provides an orienting tool of simple design, which is capable of use with any type of deflecting tool, and by which directional drilling operations may be accurately carried out with a minimum of time and effort devoted to the process of orienting the deflecting tool.

The invention has been illustrated herein by a specific embodiment of the same, but it is to be understood that this is intended by way of example only, and numerous changes in the construction and arrangement of the various parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the 7 invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a tubular operating string and a well tool requiring orientation. of an orienting device interposed between said tool and string comprising inner and outer telescopically arranged tubular parts movable longitudinally relative to each other, interengaging means on said parts holding the parts against relative rotation, an annular support on one of said parts, said one of said parts having a downwardly facing abutment above said support, the other of said parts having an annular recess and a longitudinal groove opening at one end into said recess and whose other end is closed, a gravity actuated element carried on said support and extending into said recess and freely movable thereon to the lowest point on the support in response to inclination of the parts and to a position to enter said groove upon rotation of the parts to bring the open end of said groove into alignment with said lowest point, said element being engageable with said abutment the closed end of said groove to limit relative longitudinal movement of the parts in one direction.

2. The combination with a tubular operating string and a well tool requiring orientation of an orienting device interposed between said tool and string comprising inner and outer telescopically arranged tubular parts movable longitudinally relative to each other, interengaging means on said parts holding the parts against relative rotation, means on one of said parts forming an upwardly facing annular seat thereon, an annular recess in the other of said parts, said one of said parts having a downwardly facing abutment above said seat, circumferentially spaced longitudinal grooves of different lengths in the other of said parts, each of said grooves being closed at one end and opening at the other end into said recess, a gravity actuated element on said seat and extending into said recess and freelymovable to the lowest point on said seat and into alignment with the open end of the one of said grooves nearest said lowest point in response to inclination of the parts, said element being engageable with said abutment and the closed end of said one of said grooves to limit relative movement of the parts in one direction.

3. The combination with a tubular operating string and a well tool requiring orientation of an orienting device interposed between said tool and string comprising an outer tubular barrel having an internal annular recess, an inner tubular mandrel movable longitudinally in the barrel, interengaging means on the barrel and mandrel holding the barrel and mandrel against relative rotation, said mandrel having an external annular recess and an external longitudinal groove opening at one end into said external recess and whose other end is closed, and means movably disposed in said internal recess extending into said external recess and. movable into alignment with said groove in response to rotation of the parts when the parts are in an inclined position, said means being engageable with the barrel in the internal recess and with the mandrel at the closed end of the groove to limit the relative movement of the barrel and mandrel in one direction.

4. The combination with a tubular operating string and a well tool requiring orientation of an orienting device interposed between said tool and string comprising an outer tubular barrel having an internal recess providing an annular up wardly facing seat and an annular downwardly facing abutment above the seat, an inner tubular mandrel movable longitudinally in the barrel and rotatable therewith, said mandrel having an external annular recess and circumferentially spaced external longitudinal grooves of difierent lengths opening at their upper ends into said external recess and closed at their lower ends, means movably disposed on said seat and extending into said external recess, said means being movable to the lowest point on said seat and into alignment with the one of said grooves nearest said lowest point upon rotation of the parts when the parts are in an inclined position, said means being engageable between said abutment and the closed end of said one of said grooves to limit relative movement of the barrel and mandrel in one direction.

5. The combination with a tubular operating string and a well tool requiring orientation of an orienting device interposed between said tool and string comprising inner and outer telescopically arranged tubular parts movable longitudinally relative to each other and splined together against relative rotation, said outer part having an internal annular recess providing a downwardly facing abutment, said inner part having an external annular recess and an external longitudinal groove opening at its upper end into said external recess and closed at its lower end, means movably disposed in said internal recess and extending into said external recess, said means being movable to a position in alignment with said groove by rotation of the parts when the parts are in an inclined position, and said means being engageable with said abutment and the bottom of said groove to limit relative movement of said parts in one direction.

6. The combination with a tubular operating string and a well tool requiring orientation of an orienting device interposed between said tool and string comprising inner and outer telescopically arranged tubular parts movable longitudinally relative to each other and rotatively connected together, said outer part having an internal annular recess forming an upwardly facing seat disposed in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the parts and a downwardly facing abutment above the seat, said inner part having an external annular recess adapted to be positioned opposite said internal recess upon relative movement of the parts in a direction to increase the combined length of the parts, and circumferentially spaced external grooves of different lengths opening at their upper ends into said external recess and closed at their lower ends, means movably disposed in said internal recess and movable under the influence of gravity to the lowest point on said seat and into alignment with the one of said grooves nearest said lowest point upon rotation of the parts while the parts are in an inclined position, said means being adapted to enter said one of said grooves and to be engaged between the bottom of said one of said grooves and said abutment to limit relative movement of the parts in a direction to decrease the combined length of the parts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED S'iAIEE; PATENTS Number Name Date 1,989,906 Beck Feb. 5, 1935 2,122,751 Phipps July 5, 1938 2,142,559 Duus Jan. 3. 1939 

